I have to admit. Growing up I can't recall if my mom ever made sloppy joes for dinner so I never really thought about them as a grown up. It appears that for kids, sloppy joe night is a staple. For us, chicken for dinner was a staple! So much chicken....When I think of sloppy joes, I think of the version in the can. I don't really like making dinners from a can, unless it's Spaghetti O's with franks! That's also how I feel about Hamburger Helper. I just can't bring myself to make any version of Hamburger Helper!
When I saw the sloppy joe episode of The Pioneer Woman, Ree cooked up some for her gang and the cowboys showing the kids some horse riding tricks. I wasn't totally game but I asked Joel if he would like sloppy joes one night and he jumped at it. He said he knew it wasn't really my kind of meal so not a big deal if we didn't have them. Just one of the many reasons I love him. There are several things that aren't my kind of meal, so we never have them. (See Hamburger Helper above.) However, I thought I would take the plunge!
The first time I made them, I remember looking at the meat sauce thinking something didn't look right. It was really runny and didn't look anything like what Ree made. I read back over the recipe and realized I had forgot the ketchup! Only the most important ingredient! I added it at the last minute which didn't harm the meal in any way. And, I actually liked them. They were on the menu again this week and I made them last night. I didn't forget the ketchup and they turned out just well as they did the first time. However, we didn't have nearly large enough buns. Thank goodness this is another two day meal! After work, I will be stopping off at the store for much larger buns because these sloppy joes deserve a large home!!
When more time allows, I am up for the challenge of making Ree's homemade french fries but boy do they look time consuming! Time consuming, but I bet they are pretty amazing!
Ready to make homemade sloppy joes? Get the recipe here! I can't wait for McKinley's first sloppy joe night! Messy, and hopefully, amazing!